Effect of near-infrared light exposure on mitochondrial signaling in C2C12 muscle cells

Near-infrared (NIR) light is a complementary therapy used to treat musculoskeletal injuries but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Acute NIR light treatment (~ 800-950 nm; 22.8 J/cm2) induced a dose-dependent increase in mitochondrial signaling (AMPK, p38 MAPK) in differentiated muscle cells. Repeated NIR light exposure (4 days) appeared to elevate oxidative stress and increase the upstream mitochondrial regulatory proteins AMPK (3.1-fold), p38 (2.8-fold), PGC-1α (19.7%), Sirt1 (26.8%), and reduced RIP140 (23.2%), but downstream mitochondrial regulation/content (Tfam, NRF-1, Sirt3, cytochrome c, ETC subunits) was unaltered. Our data indicates that NIR light alters mitochondrial biogenesis signaling and may represent a mechanistic link to the clinical benefits.